Pacific Tree Frog

Pacific Tree Frog, Pseudacris regilla, hanging out on an orchid leaf.  These little singing frogs are found on the West coast of the United States and Canada.

Paphiopedilum haynaldianum alba

Paphiopedilum haynaldianum alba blooming in the greenhouse.  This is a rare alba form of the normally pink, brown, lavender and polka-dotted species from the Philippines.

Hoya pubicalyx

Hoya pubicalyx blooming in the back yard.  The leaves turn reddish in the sun with little silver flecks like a small dusting of glitter.  This species is an easy grower and makes a wonderful display when in bloom.  This one is a division from my friend Renate (I call it Renate Red!).

Cattleya leopoldii

Cattleya leopoldii (also known and Cattleya tigrina), a native of Southern Brazilian coastal forests.  This is a large, warm growing, bifoliate Cattleya with wonderful, waxy, fragrant flowers.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July!  Shown: fireworks above Carmel Valley, California.

Thistle with Tiny Beetle Pollinators

Thistle with beetle pollinators at Big Bear Lake, California.  The beetles are as much fun as the thistle!

Dandelion in Seed

Super large Dandelion, or something in the general family, in seed at Big Bear Lake, California.  These are particularly captivating in the late afternoon sun.

Encyclia alboxanthina

Encyclia alboxanthina is one of my favorite Encyclia species, with long branching spikes of fragrant green, yellow and white flowers.  This species is found in Bahia, Brazil and is not seen in cultivation very often, probably because it gets quite large.

Encyclia Cashen's Chocolate Rose 'Smokey' AM/AOS

Encyclia Cashen's Chocolate Rose 'Smokey' AM/AOS.  Summer is Encyclia blooming season and the greenhouse is awash in colorful sprays of fragrant, Encyclia blossoms.  These guys like a lot of sun, moderate water and want to dry out between waterings.  This beauty is a hybrid of Encyclia cordigera and Encyclia Orchid Jungle, which is a primary between Encyclia alata and Encyclia phoenecia.

July AOS Awards at the San Diego Judging Center

Paphiopedilum Crouching Tiger 'Seagraves' AM/AOS, 80 pts.

The Marine Blue Butterfly

Marine Blue Butterfly, Leptotes marina, at Big Bear Lake, California.  The caterpillars typically live off of legumes including the many native species of Lupine and, in the city, sometimes you will find them on Plumbago.

Hanging out at the Big Bear Zoo

The group of us hanging out at the Big Bear Rescue Zoo.  They had a broad assortment of rescued animals including wolves, golden eagles, mountain lions, lynxes, bald eagles,black bears and grizzly bears!

Brandy, one of the zoo keepers brought out the cutest hedgehog for the crowd.

Western Blue Flag, Iris missouriensis

Western Blue Flag, Iris missouriensis, is found is moist, open, montane meadows in Southern California.  This one was in a meadow adjacent to the Timberline lodge in Big Bear, California. I wandered over to the meadow to investigate the flowers while checking into the lodge and just caught the tail end of what was probably a glorious blooming of a field full of Iris.  I could still see the seed pods the dried flowers on most of the plants and the last few still had flowers.

Epidendrum prismatocarpum

Epidendrum prismatocarpum (now Encyclia prismatocarpa), a native of Mexico and Central America, with tall, dramatic spikes.

Paphiopedilum barbatum

Paphiopedilum barbatum, a native of Thailand and Malaysia at around 2,000-4,000 ft.

Paphiopedilum concolor variety chlorphyllum

Paphiopedilum concolor variety chlorophyllum.  This lovely little yellow lady's slipper orchid hails from Southeast Asia where it grows near water, on limestone rocks and in mixed leaf litter.  This one is blooming in the greenhouse where it is growing in a loose bark and perlite mix.

Boulder Bay, Bear Lake, California

Panorama of Boulder Bay, Bear Lake, California.  There's a wonderful little park with a fishing dock that I shot the picture from.  On either side, there are beautiful, large, multi-million dollar houses with boat docks and/or little private beaches.

Orchids Blooming in the Yard...

 Myrmecophila grandiflora, blooming on 3 foot tall spikes with these beautiful flowers way up in the air.  These are native to the sand dunes along the coast of Mexico.

Sobralia La Folie, a hybrid of Sobralia xantholeuca and Sobralia leucoxantha, a wonderful hybrid from our friends at Cal Orchid. It kept the color from leucoxantha and received improved form from xantholeuca.

Both of these grow fine outside here in San Diego (as long as you're not too far inland anyhow).

Crown flower, Calotropis gigantea

Crown flower, Calotropis gigantea, is native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China, and is used for flower leis in Hawaii.  It is also a favorite food for Monarch butterfly larvae!

Haleiwa Bridge, the "Rainbow Bridge"

Haleiwa Bridge, Oahu, Hawaii.  Also know as the Rainbow Bridge.  Canoes and paddle boards routinely glide underneath as they head up the Anahulu river.  Sometimes turtles come to the surface to bask in the sun.  Other days, there are fisherman patiently waiting for mullet along the banks of the Anahulu and kids frenetically jumping off of the bridge into the river below.